While the country debates who can or cannot wear a burqa in public spaces, an invisible prohibition persists which prevents more than 1.5 million people from circulating in these same spaces — not by choice, but by social imposition and political incapacity.
In 45 years, I have never come across a woman in a burqabut I come across people every day who, like me, live conditioned in the exercise of citizenship: prevented from accessing decent housing, entering buildings, using transport, circulating in public spaces, using services or exercising rights as basic as voting, education and employment.
Portuguese society has been exemplary in mobilizing in defense of rights when they are threatened. However, there is a marked imbalance in the capacity for social mobilization around different rights: while topics such as prolonged breastfeeding or the use of the burqa raise intense debates, the right to a dignified and independent life — often conditioned by available accessibilities — often remains invisible and secondary.
This right is directly denied to more than 10% of the population, and, in practice, affects the entire society (100%). Without accessibility there is no participation. The lack of accessibility constitutes one of the deepest and most structural forms of social exclusion: it limits lives, restricts opportunities and prevents full citizen participation.
Sérgio Lopes, comedian and activist — who, because he uses a wheelchair, is often prevented from using public transport and from entering the rooms where he should work — warns: “No one would enter a restaurant with a sign prohibiting black people from entering”but we enter inaccessible spaces every day. If, for one day, most people refused to enter spaces without accessibility — transport and establishments — what we pretend not to see would be exposed:
— Portugal continues to condition the exercise of rights;
— os successive governments have revealed incapacity and fear in implementing the necessary structural reform.
This silent prohibition extends to school, work and throughout everyday life. It even limits young students in their academic career.
43 years have passed since the first legislative references to the topic, 28 since the first Legal Regime and 19 years of technical accessibility standards (NTA) in force.
In 2009, we ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilitiescommitting to structural policies and stable financing. But between commitment and practice a political and technical gap has opened up: fragmented approaches, discontinued policies, temporary structures, knowledgeless leadership and timid investments prevail.
The narrative of “awareness” and “inspection” as solutions persists.
Awareness is important, but it does not resolve the issue; Inspection is necessary, but it does not transform. None replace political, technical and social responsibilities.
Almost three decades have passed and we still do not have a national planning and monitoring system, with scheduled goals and financing — particularly in the State and municipal budgets.
Less than 15% of municipalities have an accessibility plan with their own budget (INR, IP). Around 82% of the national buildings were built before the NTA (Census 2001). However, the area continues to not be a priority for the public and private sectors.
In the desire to encourage, the governance of the area was replaced by the culture of rewarding “good practices”. Without firm political commitments, seals and prizes reinforce the welfare model, transforming compliance with the law into a meritorious exception.
A Mission Structure for Promoting Accessibility could have been a true agent of change. But it was created without autonomy, with very limited resources and a short duration. In 2024 it began to be absorbed by INR, IP, currently limited to administrative functions of the program “360º accessibility” of the PRR — a program that, however, was completely diverted from its initial purpose: to improve accessibility in housing, services and public roads, starting to finance 4,000 electric mobility vehicles.
On October 20th, the National Accessibility Day. Unfortunately, the celebrations have not yet shown the necessary strength. The date should serve to eradicate the conviction of being a “niche” topic and link the condition of universal response, quality and sustainability. More than presenting intention plans and distributing symbolic prizes, it should be a day of reinforcing commitments — a day of social and political accountability, promoting competent leadership, executive authority, continuity policies, consistent financing, consistent monitoring and mandatory technical training.
As the Legal Regime is under review, the Government is warned to consider that:
- Accessibility is not for one group of people.
- There is no accessibility if it is not defended from a perspective of universality and autonomy.
How long will we postpone the necessary structural reform? When will we understand that accessibility is not a cause, but the basis of democracy and sustainable development in the country?
Perhaps the right question is: Will we be able to mobilize for a collective future?